Dr. Ayesha Appa is a nationally recognized physician-researcher and thought leader in addiction medicine. Triple board-certified in Addiction Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Internal Medicine, she serves as Senior VP and Head of Boulder Care as well as Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF & Research Scientist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Center for Substance Use and Health. 

At UCSF, Dr. Appa directed San Francisco General Hospital’s Health Access Point clinic, a pioneering, low-barrier program providing integrated substance use treatment, harm reduction, and HIV prevention to people who use drugs. In 2024, she was granted the coveted Avenir Award by NIDA to support highly innovative researchers proposing potentially transformative research, and is the Principal Investigator of a NIDA-funded randomized trial testing novel methods of opioid overdose prevention. 

In both academic and public forums, Dr. Appa is known for her innovative, equity-focused care models and her ability to translate clinical expertise into systems-level change. She brings deep insight into substance use disorder care delivery for vulnerable populations, public health, and implementation science.